Economic Development

The implementation of environmental laws AB 32, SB 375, and MS4 (Storm Water Permits) is a hot topic that will affect businesses, cities and counties all across the state. In order to address the somewhat overwhelming task presented by these laws and regulations, the organization Housing Opportunities Made Easier (HOME) is holding a conference in Ventura called “The Perfect Storm: AB32, SB375 & MS4” that will take place at the Ventura County Office of Education Conference Center on March 19th from 7:30 a.m. to noon. The agenda will not only address the ways it will change business conduct, impacts on housing, and quality of life but also their implementation on a law-by-law basis and their conflicting impacts. A series of panelists will speak and answer questions, so if you’re in the LA/Ventura/Santa Barbara county areas and are interested in attending, you can register here.

As part of a longstanding effort to mitigate traffic issues in the pastoral but sometimes cramped Napa Valley, a County ordinance has restricted the marketing efforts of wineries in the area to bring business meetings and other events that could overload the region's limited infrastructure.  Several trade groups in the area have been lobbying to lift the restrictions, which Supes now seem more open to doing.

Read more in the Napa Biz Journal. 

From the California Farm Bureau:

As counties struggle to continue providing Williamson Act property tax provisions to farmers despite withdrawal of the state's $27.8 million funding support, the program's shaky platform suffered an unexpected blow when the Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted last week not to renew contracts with farmers when they come due next Jan. 1. Imperial became the first California county to vote to cancel the land-conservation program.

One of the biggest surprises relating to the Imperial vote was its timing, observers said, because the board had until Nov. 1 to make the decision in order for it to go into effect.

"Since the supervisors acted in haste, it appears that they want to be last in and first out of the program, because I believe they actually were one of the last counties to adopt the Williamson Act," said John Gamper, California Farm Bureau Federation land use and taxation director.

Read more here.

From the California Farm Bureau:

As counties struggle to continue providing Williamson Act property tax provisions to farmers despite withdrawal of the state's $27.8 million funding support, the program's shaky platform suffered an unexpected blow when the Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted last week not to renew contracts with farmers when they come due next Jan. 1. Imperial became the first California county to vote to cancel the land-conservation program.

One of the biggest surprises relating to the Imperial vote was its timing, observers said, because the board had until Nov. 1 to make the decision in order for it to go into effect.

"Since the supervisors acted in haste, it appears that they want to be last in and first out of the program, because I believe they actually were one of the last counties to adopt the Williamson Act," said John Gamper, California Farm Bureau Federation land use and taxation director.

Read more here.

Over 500 San Bernardino restaurants are set to receive $408 refund checks from the county, stemming from a fee on soda machines and the carbon dioxide they run on.  The refunds will total about $200,000.